David Vitter Pens Pro-Shutdown Listicle

David Vitter Pens Pro-Shutdown Listicle

Sen. David Vitter speaks during a news conference on the stimulus package on Feb. 4, 2009 in Washington, D.C.

Photo by Mark Wilson/Getty Images

This has kind of been subtext for a while, but Sen. David Vitter has gone and made it text by writing a 10 point pro-shutdown listicle, basically arguing that since the shutdown has shut the Environmental Protection Agency down, the shutdown is a good thing all on its own terms.

The issue here, basically, is that Louisiana is a major oil and gas state, and oil and gas producers naturally would prefer it if there were no environmental regulations. In terms of Vitter's listicle, though, I think conservative politicians are supposed to complain about environmentalist "overreach" and such without actually endorsing the view that there should be no environmental regulations whatsoever.